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SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

Cel

Nova Innovation is a leading designer and manufacturer of tidal turbines. We have designed, built, deployed and are currently operating a grid-connected turbine in Scotland. In this project we will conduct a feasibility study into the market potential for our direct-drive tidal turbine design.

One way to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of tidal turbines is to find innovative ways to utilise the benefits of the subsea environment by using seawater to lubricate and cool the turbine drive train. Another is to reduce the number of offshore components by eliminating the gearbox to produce a direct-drive turbine. These steps reduce or eliminate the need for expensive and failure-prone equipment such as high pressure shaft seals, watertight bulkheads and cooling systems. This reduces operational costs and increases device reliability and yield.

No company to date has developed a direct drive tidal turbine that is reliable and economically viable. Our design is innovative in the particular combination of drive train, blade and support structure design, which is optimised to minimise the lifetime cost of the integrated system.

Potential customers are tidal energy project developers seeking to generate predictable, reliable energy from the tides at minimum lifetime cost. The market for tidal power is global, but Europe is taking a lead with potential clients in the UK, France and Ireland. Once proven in Europe the technology can be exported worldwide, with a potential global market of 800 TWh per annum (IEA-OES), or annual electricity sales of over €40 billion.

In Phase 1 we will conduct a feasibility study including a detailed IP review and strategy development, supply chain and market study and risk assessment to reinforce our business plan for exploiting this invention. In Phase 2 we will conduct a full-scale demonstration of the technology in a real-world setting: Nova Innovation’s existing, permitted, in-sea, grid-connected tidal energy site.